SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship updates

[DocM]

Looks like the orbital launch table, which would attach to the top of those 6 massive legs built last fall.

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

Another static fire after an engine swap. With good test data we could see a flight this week.

 

 

[DocM]

FAA Operations Plan Advisory for Feb. 26 includes a SpaceX Starship launch,

 

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp

 

[Skiver Veteran]

6 hours ago, DocM said:

FAA Operations Plan Advisory for Feb. 26 includes a SpaceX Starship launch,

 

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp

 

No Evacuation notice has been given so likely another SF at this point

[DocM]

SN-10's flight termination system has been installed. Looks like a flight early in the week.

[DocM]

Eastern time is + 1 hour

 

 

 

[DocM]

Road closures for March 3-5 (Wed - Fri)

Eastern time = +1 hour

 

[TrevorLahey]

SpaceX stream is live:

1 min till launch.

 

 

 

 

Edit:  Abort.  Done for today.

Edit #2:  Mentioned on the Webcast they are looking at data.  Will be coming back with an update if they will try again.

[DocM]

Spacecraft computer aborted the count. They're checking to see if they can fix it before the window expires.

[DocM]

Another try in ~2 hours.

[DocM]

 

 

 

[Steven P. Administrators]

I capped the whole thing and uploaded it to our YouTube channel

 

 

(monetizing is off for the video)

[Louisifer]

Almost the whole thing, It had an unscheduled take off a few minutes later. 😃 

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Well ... they nailed the landing ... now just gotta keep it from undergoing a RUD after landing.   

 

Will be interesting to see what the cause was ... wouldn't doubt if the bottom tank got breached by flame.  It seemed like it was still cooking a little after landing ... the "launch" appeared to be the bottom tank releasing its contents (methane?).  Just my observation.  

[FloatingFatMan]

Hey Elon! McDonell Douglas's DC-X just called and asked if you need any help with that flying bomb of yours!

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

It bounced on landing, im guessing the legs didnt work as intended maybe pushed the engines up into the tank or something similar.

[DocM]

Looked like some legs didn't lock when they deployed, causing it to land hard and stand on a rear fin. Then a leak (lines? tank?) caused the post-landing fire which a while later blew the tanks.

 

These were Legs v1.0 with improvements in SN-11, and further upgrades should be in in SN-15. SN's 12-14 have been scrapped as SN-15 makes the early vehicle design obsolete. SN-11 should roll out soon, with SN-15 stacking in the High Bay.

 

This is 'hardware rich development,' which is a bit like Whack-a-Mole; build, launch, break, fix, repeat. 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by DocM

[DocM]

SpaceX's Principal Integration Engineer/webcaster "Big John" Insprucker refers to the belly flop a the "Adama Maneuver" and former astronaut/head of SpaceX Commercial Crew Garrett Reisman seconded it. Guess that makes it official 😃

 

#SoSayWeAll #BSG

 

 

 

[DocM]

SN-10's flight from the STARGATE facility with a crowd of SpaceXers,

 

 

[Skiver Veteran]

On 04/03/2021 at 04:07, DocM said:

Looked like some legs didn't lock when they deployed, causing it to land hard and stand on a rear fin. Then a leak (lines? tank?) caused the post-landing fire which a while later blew the tanks.

 

These were Legs v1.0 with improvements in SN-11, and further upgrades should be in in SN-15. SN's 12-14 have been scrapped as SN-15 makes the early vehicle design obsolete. SN-11 should roll out soon, with SN-15 stacking in the High Bay.

 

This is 'hardware rich development,' which is a bit like Whack-a-Mole; build, launch, break, fix, repeat. 

 

I'm sure Elon said they were still working on leg concepts so the fact the thing stood as long as it did was pretty amazing.

I saw a tweet from Michael B from NSF that there are road closures coming on Monday so he's speculating that might be SN11s rollout to the pad then.

[DocM]

13 hours ago, Skiver said:

I'm sure Elon said they were still working on leg concepts so the fact the thing stood as long as it did was pretty amazing.

I saw a tweet from Michael B from NSF that there are road closures coming on Monday so he's speculating that might be SN11s rollout to the pad then.

The next leg iteration isn't "the big one" but that's coming.  And yes, the SN-11 rollout should happen next week.

 

Meanwhile, the Super Heavy thrust puck testing hardware is arriving. Part of Super Heavy BN-1 is in the High Bay behind SN-11.

 

 

[DocM]

Well, well...

 

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-nasa-partnerships-to-mature-commercial-space-technologies-capabilities

 

Quote

SpaceX will partner with NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to capture imagery and thermal measurements of its Starship vehicle during orbital re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. With the data, the company plans to advance a reusable thermal protection system, which protects the vehicle from aerodynamic heating, for missions returning from low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

 

[DocM]

Updated SpaceX Boca Chica site plans were found on an Army Corps of Engineers site, about 29 mb.

 

https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Media/Public-Notices/Article/2524314/swg-2013-00381-space-exploration-technologies-inc-spacex-wetlands-cameron-count/

 

Quote

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  SpaceX proposed to modify the existing permit for the continued development of the SpaceX vertical launch area with the expansion and addition of test, orbital, and landing pads, integration towers, associated infrastructure, stormwater management features and vehicle parking.  The proposed expansion will impact 10.94 acres of mud flats, 5.94 acres of estuarine wetlands, and 0.28 acres of non-tidal wetlands. 

 

PDF

 

https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Portals/26/docs/regulatory/PN March/Plans_201300381.pdf?ver=hid3b2HjHCZZNucHf1LGzw%3D%3D

 

Highlighting the changes...

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by DocM

[DocM]

Super Heavy is coming out to play...

 

 

[DocM]